Halifax Wedding Photography: Kelly & Mark

I’m standing on Quinpool, lifting up my fedora to scratch my head and survey the storefronts for the 10th time. My phone is stuffed in my pocket and I can hear Siri telling me in muffled tones that I’ve reached my destination at Oddfellows Barbershop. So where is it? I feel so betrayed when Siri leads me astray. Mark is there with his guys getting shaved by straight razor and I’m getting a bit panicked that I can’t find it, despite my pacing and head scratching. I walk into Proskate for directions (maybe a quick coffee?) and some weird instinct tells me to go upstairs. Sure enough, upstairs is the barbershop. Surfboards, nostalgic vintage vibe, shabby chic furniture, hair cuts, beard trims. Sorry for doubting you Siri (I assume an AI can read a blog). Still, there’s no Mark. I’m back to scratching my head as I leave out the backdoor. Outside is a parking lot with an old pinball game and a dunk tank. Mark is hurtling a ball and the guy behind a cage sits above the cold water, grimacing with each toss. It’s a fun scene. Mark and his guys are light-hearted and joyful. I’m a bit embarrassed about how panicked I got, but hey, I take this stuff seriously. Even the fun stuff.

Back at the hotel where Kelly is getting ready with her girls, Rae texts me a heart emoji. It’s our way of saying, “things are going smoothly, and I love you”. I text her one back. She’s at the Westin in a room with wine, lip stick, eye liner, and Kelly, with her wedding party composed of girls she’s known since childhood. I’ve always admired people who maintain friendships over such lengths of time.

After the shave, I meet Mark at the Westin Hotel as well. There is a flurry of showers, card writing, socks, suspenders, bow-tie tying, beer and wine being passed around, and the boutonnieres (always harder than you’d expect). It was the first time that we’ve shot a wedding where the groom was late. BUT, in Mark’s defence, it truly wasn’t his fault. The suits rented from Moore’s came in the wrong sizes, and there were multiple things missing. Moore’s had to come down to the Westin twice to bring everything that was supposed to be there. Moore’s arrived literally seconds before the ceremony was to start, bringing shoes for a groomsmen. Nobody noticed that one of the pocket squares was replaced with a hotel napkin. By some sort of fortitude I’ve never possessed, both Mark and Kelly seemed to be cool with it all. Smiling and laughing even.

That was the vibe though. And they rolled on that vibe while the band played until 3am at Pier 21, after the bottle had been spun on the dance floor, after shirts had come off, after Kelly took the stage, after the cake went uncut and uneaten because everyone was having way too much fun.